Jim Donahue
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1886-1891)
Jim Donahue was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1886 to 1891 for the New York Metropolitans, the Kansas City Cowboys, and the Columbus Solons, a span of 6 seasons. In 341 career games, he hit .234 with 298 hits, 2 home runs, and 133 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 175 lb
- Died
- 4/19/1935 in Lockport, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1886-04-19
- Last Game
- 1891-10-02
Full name: James Augustus Donahue
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 341 | 1,275 | 133 | 298 | 24 | 11 | 2 | 133 | 33 | 104 | 80 | .234 | .295 | .275 | .570 | -2,439 |
Career AVG .234 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 8.3% below league average.
Career OBP .295 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — 7.4% below league average.
Career SLG .275 vs. league average .345 across their career seasons — 20.5% below league average.
Career OPS .570 vs. league average .664 across their career seasons — 14.2% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1886 | NY4 | AA | 49 | 186 | 14 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 0 | .199 | .246 (-19%) | .302 (-17%) | .331 (-40%) | .634 (-29%) | -712.1 |
| 1887 | NY4 | AA | 60 | 220 | 33 | 62 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 6 | 21 | 16 | .282 | .270 (+4%) | .331 (+6%) | .373 (-14%) | .705 (-5%) | -81.0 |
| 1888 | KC2 | AA | 88 | 337 | 29 | 79 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 12 | 21 | 26 | .234 | .238 (-2%) | .290 (-3%) | .319 (-8%) | .610 (-6%) | -261.5 |
| 1889 | KC2 | AA | 67 | 252 | 30 | 59 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 32 | 12 | 21 | 20 | .234 | .263 (-11%) | .334 (-12%) | .357 (-20%) | .691 (-16%) | -645.4 |
| 1891 | CL6 | AA | 77 | 280 | 27 | 61 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 31 | 18 | .218 | .254 (-14%) | .331 (-10%) | .343 (-26%) | .675 (-18%) | -739.1 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 341 | 1,275 | 133 | 298 | 24 | 11 | 2 | 133 | 33 | 104 | 80 | .234 | — | — | — | — | -2,439 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 0 | 46 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2B | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 3B | 16 | 0 | 17 | 32 | 14 | 3 |
| C | 258 | 0 | 1082 | 415 | 146 | 28 |
| OF | 70 | 0 | 108 | 10 | 25 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1886 | NY4 | C | 19 | 0 | 91 | 34 | 9 | 1 |
| 1886 | NY4 | OF | 32 | 0 | 50 | 3 | 13 | 0 |
| 1887 | NY4 | 1B | 4 | 0 | 40 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1887 | NY4 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1887 | NY4 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1887 | NY4 | C | 51 | 0 | 208 | 90 | 37 | 3 |
| 1887 | NY4 | OF | 5 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1888 | KC2 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1888 | KC2 | 3B | 5 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 0 |
| 1888 | KC2 | C | 67 | 0 | 282 | 106 | 42 | 9 |
| 1888 | KC2 | OF | 18 | 0 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 1889 | KC2 | 3B | 10 | 0 | 9 | 22 | 8 | 3 |
| 1889 | KC2 | C | 46 | 0 | 158 | 77 | 30 | 4 |
| 1889 | KC2 | OF | 14 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| 1891 | CL6 | 1B | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1891 | CL6 | C | 75 | 0 | 343 | 108 | 28 | 11 |
| 1891 | CL6 | OF | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 258 |
| First Base | 5 |
| Second Base | 2 |
| Third Base | 16 |
| Left Field | 38 |
| Center Field | 28 |
| Right Field | 6 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jim Donahue (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jim Donahue: the record in brief
The profile opens with Jim Donahue's first major league game on April 19, 1886; the last one listed came on October 2, 1891. The season rows list, in order, the New York Metropolitans (1886 through 1887), the Kansas City Cowboys (1888 through 1889), and the Columbus Solons (1891). Donahue, a catcher by primary position, both batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 6'0" and 175 pounds. The birth record reads January 8, 1862, in Lockport, IL, USA. Donahue died on April 19, 1935, in Lockport, IL, USA. The bio lists the given name James Augustus.
In 341 games and 1,275 at bats, Donahue batted .234 with 298 hits, plus 2 homers, 133 runs batted in, and 33 stolen bases. Donahue's career OPS of .570 combines a .295 on-base mark with .275 slugging. Over the seasons Donahue played, league hitters batted .255; the .234 career figure is 8.3% below that. By OPS the gap is 14.2% below league average (.570 against .664). No season topped the 79 hits of 1888. Donahue drove in a season-high 35 runs in 1891.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Donahue
- What years did Jim Donahue play?
- Jim Donahue played in Major League Baseball from 1886 to 1891.
- Was Jim Donahue a pitcher?
- No. Jim Donahue was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Jim Donahue hit?
- Jim Donahue hit 2 career home runs with 298 hits.
- What teams did Jim Donahue play for?
- Jim Donahue played for 3 teams: the New York Metropolitans (1886–1887), the Kansas City Cowboys (1888–1889), and the Columbus Solons (1891).
- What were Jim Donahue's career stats?
- In 341 games, Jim Donahue had 298 hits, 2 home runs, 133 RBI, 133 runs, and 33 stolen bases, with a .234 batting average.
- What position did Jim Donahue play?
- Jim Donahue played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jim Donahue and how much did he weigh?
- Jim Donahue was listed at 6 feet and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Jim Donahue hit each season?
- Jim Donahue's home runs by season: 0 in 1886, 1 in 1887, 1 in 1888, 0 in 1889, and 0 in 1891. His most in one season was 1, in 1887 and 1888.
- What was Jim Donahue's career batting average?
- Jim Donahue batted .234 over his career, with 298 hits in 1,275 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jim Donahue have?
- Jim Donahue drove in 133 runs in his career.
- Is Jim Donahue in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jim Donahue has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.